I am D.L., Doctor in History, specializing in history of post-Vatican II Catholic Church and its social doctrine. I live and work in Minsk (Belarus).

I was baptized into the Russian Orthodox Church but after my long researches and acquaintance with the Latin tradition, joined the Roman Catholic Church, Latin rite, FSSPX parish in Minsk. This happened after one and a half years of preparation last Saturday (February 24), and last Sunday I received my first Catholic Eucharist.

I try to work for Catholic tradition. Last year I translated from English into Russian a book by Michael Davies, Pope John's Council. (Part Two of The Liturgical Revolution). Now I'm starting the translation of Fr. Ralph Wiltgen, The Rhine Flows into the Tiber.

Half a year ago I took part in translating Prof. Plinio Correa de Oliveira’s Revolution and Counter-Revolution into the Belarusian language. That translation was ordered by the Polish TFP, the previous ones - by our local FSSPX priest.

None of them has been published yet, but I hope, when and if these books are published they will be helpful for our people to find out more truth about Catholicism.

Not so long ago a friend of mine sent me a book In the Murky Waters of Vatican II, by Atila Sinke Guimaraes. The book is issued by the TAN Books. When I ordered it I did not know that it violates the copyrights - only after taking the book in my hands I began searching the Internet for the author and found your website.

In fact, I am impressed with the work done by the author. I want to apologize for buying a book from the author's rights violator (TAN Books) and to thank the author for his work.

It is not only informative and thought-provoking, but also deepens our knowledge of Christian history and tradition, of texts by the Church Fathers and great Western theologians. This is really a great work and I hope Mr. Guimaraes will continue his important research and writings.

Besides, I have several questions to you.

Are you sede-vacantists or not?

I'd like to know what is your relation with the TFP.

What is your relation with the FSSPX?

Do you have any plans to start work in the former USSR, in Belarus first of all?

Thank you again!

Sincerely,

D.L.

TIA responds:

Dear Dr. D.L.,

Our most cordial congratulations for your conversion to the Catholic Faith and for receiving Our Lord Jesus Christ present in the Holy Eucharist for the first time. We wish you to be His true disciple, fighting ceaselessly for the glory and exaltation of the Catholic Church. We pray that the Mother of God, Mary Most Holy, protect you and help you realize what God wants from you.

We also congratulate you for translating into Belarusian the important book by Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira, Revolution and Counter-Revolution. It is a master-work that explains in depth the crisis that began with the decay of the Middle Ages and reaches its apex with the present day revolution inside of the Church, caused by Vatican II. On this topic, The Rhine Flows into the Tiber by Fr. Ralph Wiltgen is a fundamental piece. Translating it, you were on target.

Thank you for your thoughtful words on the work, In the Murky Waters of Vatican II, which is the first volume of an entire collection. To date Animus Delendi I and Animus Delendi II of this collection have also been published. Another volume is expected to go to press this March. This will be the fourth volume to be published of the 11-volume series.

Regarding your questions we can offer you the following answers:

1. We are not sede-vacantist. Even thought we admit that many issues promoted by the conciliar Popes can be classified as heresy (the affirmation that all religions lead to salvation is just one of many) or with flavor of heresy (the changes in the New Mass, for instance, were made to please the Protestants), we admit that the conciliar Popes are still Popes before the visible Church. For them to cease to be Popes before the Church, it would be necessary that either their doctrinal errors were universally known by Catholics or that the legitimate authority – another Pope – would declare them heretics as Pope St. Leo II did with Pope Honorius.

Therefore, neither TIA nor its members are sede-vacantists.

2. TIA does not have any relations with the TFP. We think that the TFP – Society for the Defense of the Tradition, Family and Property – has a glorious past of fighting against Communism, Socialism and Progressivism. However, from 1995 on, it denied the inheritance of its founder, Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira, when it decided to stop fighting against Progressivism inside the Church. Subsequently TFP has done practically nothing against it, a notable omission especially since Progressivism has infiltrated the Catholic Hierarchy, the Holy See and the Papacy. Hence, their members go along with the Conciliar Church, do not oppose Vatican II and the New Mass.

More and more, ex-supporters of TFP are coming to TIA in order to continue the fight against Progressivism that they were accustomed to see in the days when Prof. Plinio was alive.

3. We also do not have any relations with the Society St. Pius X. The SSPX has done much good for the Church, mostly by its opposition to the New Mass. The merit of preserving the Tridentine Mass for today’s traditionalist Catholics is in considerable part due to it.

Regarding Progressivism, many symptoms speak of a wing inside the SSPX that is favorable to merging with the Conciliar Church. For that purpose an agreement with the Vatican is supposedly in course implying the acceptance of Vatican Council II and admitting the New Mass as legitimate. Bishop Fernando Rifan, once an influential voice inside SSPX, would have been a forerunner of this wing. His agreement with the Vatican would have been a trial balloon. But because of the strong reactions of the grassroots against him, this wing didn't follow him, and put him aside.

Regarding the sincerity of SSPX members in their fight against Progressivism, we think that the near future will show who in their midst is a true traditionalist and who is looking for a compromise with the Conciliar Church. Indeed, the long-awaited decree by the Vatican liberating the Tridentine Mass will most probably have as counterpart an agreement in which some leaders of the SSPX will accept Vatican Council II and the New Mass. If this happens, the well-intended grassroots of the SSPX will see who’s who.